Winter MoonSecret Island (Name In Progress)
by TeamCarlisle
Summary: Takes place the winter following Immortal Society.
1. Hello Alaska

Tanya stared in the distance and felt captivated the moment she saw the handsome, blonde stranger. Who was he? Why was he approaching her home in Alaska?

Even at great lengths she could see the cool, caramel color of his eyes. The blue and white beanie hat he wore for either human disguise or fashion fit him perfectly. It was pulled down snugly over his ears, though shaggy, blonde locks peaked out around his ears.

He was lean, muscular and she could see he adapted to the diet of animal blood.

 _God, he's beautiful_ , she thought.

Tanya opened the door that led out onto the porch of her family's home in Alaska. She hadn't felt this captivated by a man's beauty since her crush on Edward had diminished. Normally it took a lot of effort to impress Tanya. It wasn't intentional, it was just the way things worked for her in regards to her love life. She had never fully envied her sister for finding Garrett, nor did she find jealousy in Carmen and Eleazar's relationship. There were fleeting moments when she wished she had that permanent someone to lean on, but those moments were often in or after a crisis.

She held her breath and watched as he walked up toward the house. For whatever reason, she couldn't get a true scent on the man. There was a strong breeze here and there where she could sense something, but it wasn't constant.

 _It's somewhat familiar_ , Tanya acknowledged, _but from where?_

It was then that she recognized he was not alone. There were others following - she could hear mumbled conversations.

Tanya's heart would have been racing if it was still capable of such a thing. After the events of the last decade she knew it could have been anybody. The excitement kept her firmly in place on the porch, and a part of her even wanted to take a risk and run out to confront the stranger.

She had perfected the art of staying cool and being smart. It was how she had lived for so long. Her family was just around the corner, and so if the beautiful stranger happened to be an assailant she was confident in her backup - particularly since the arrival of Emmett, Rosalie, William, Madison and Mackenzie; not to mention her sister and Garrett had returned from their sentence in Volterra.

"Hello!" The handsome man waved with a sheepish smile. "Tanya?"

She swallowed hard and looked around wondering why the rest of her family hadn't come out to stand by her yet. Surely they were aware of the presence of others.

"That depends on who is asking," she replied coolly, standing confidently with her hands on her hips.

The man glanced over his shoulder and then hurried the rest of the way up to the front steps of the massive estate. "Wow." His eyes scanned the house, "This _is_ a nice place."

Tanya looked back at him and shook her head. "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

 _Where the heck is the rest of my family?_ she thought again, _this guy could be kidnapping me right now... not that I'd mind._

The young man laughed and removed his hat before reaching out a hand. "I apologize. I must look a lot different." He glanced over his shoulder again, and then stared back into Tanya's eyes. "I'm Marshall. Marshall Cullen."


	2. Life Is Good

Kate joined her sister on the steps just outside the house and smiled. She placed an arm around Tanya's shoulders, who turned away from Marshall for the first time since spotting him in the distance.

"Marshall, wow." Kate raised her eyebrows. "I guess we _have_ been away for awhile. You were only up to my waist when I saw you last."

Marshall chuckled and looked down shyly before looking back up at the girls. "Well, you two appear as if you haven't aged a day."

"And charming," Kate went on with a laugh. She waved him toward him, "Come on in. Where's the rest of the army?"

"They're coming," Marshall explained, looking over his shoulder. "Caleb challenged me to a race, and Alice kept pushing for it so yes, me being the young and immature one, I took the bait."

Kate smirked and shook her head. "It's funny what trouble you can get in with your siblings." She nudged Tanya and raised her eyebrows.

"Bundled up for the Alaskan cold?" Tanya asked, tugging on the front of his hat before turning with her sister to head indoors.

Marshall took a glance around at the snowy scenery. "And I thought Minnesota and Forks had bad winters."

"It's hardly bad," Tanya challenged with a grin. She looked back as he entered their home.

"Yes, the snow tends to keep people _indoors_ ," Kate said, giving her sister a look.

Tanya smirked, and then cracked a laugh. She returned her attention to Marshall who apparently had let their innocent innuendo fly right over his head.

"Is that a grown up Marshall I hear?" Emmett's voice boomed from upstairs. He appeared momentarily and held out a hand, giving Marshall 'bro-hug' and high-five. "Damn kid, you're about as tall as I am. You look even more grown up that you do on the Facetime thing."

Mackenzie came down next and began to laugh. "Whoa! If I hadn't known you as a baby..." She let her eyebrows rise and fall several times in a row before rushing to give him a hug. "Hi Marshall."

"We're related Mac, that's gross," William said, hurrying to greet him as well.

"Not by blood," she teased and swatted him. "But yes agreed, still weird."

Rosalie entered with the rest of the Denali family. "The baby is no longer the baby."

"More like an Abercombie and Fitch model," Kate added.

Marshall smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets in an 'aww-shucks' kind of way. He wasn't used to all the attention he was getting from his extended family and friends.

"Where's the family?" Emmett asked, taking in a deep breath of the Alaskan air. "Oh, I forgot Salvatore totally masks everyone's scents. Are they here?"

"I can hear them talking," Kate said, scooting over toward Garrett. She tucked herself beneath his arm.

"So can I," Carmen said with a nod. She approached Marshall and kissed him on the cheek before giving him a hug. "I don't know if you remember us."

"Carmen and Eleazar," he said.

"That's right." She grinned. "How has your mother reacted to you being this tall?"

Marshall laughed again and shrugged. "She's adjusted I guess."

They engaged in some small talk for a moment before Alice burst through the door first with a smile. "Hello, hello!"

Emmett was the first to rush over and give Alice a big hug. He lifted her tiny body from the ground and spun her around before hurrying to greet the others.

Alice made her rounds and eventually exchanged a long hug with Rosalie. "I miss you," she said quietly.

"I miss you too," Rosalie replied. She kept Alice against her for another moment before they parted and shared a smile.

The Cullens piled in to the Denali home, all exchanging warm welcomes and greetings. Charlie was greeted with the same awe-struck smiles and hugs as Marshall was, as he now appeared to be of about twelve years old.

Carlisle and Esme, after being smothered by Emmett and greeting Rosalie, made their way to Carmen and Eleazar.

"It's good to see the two of you," Eleazar greeted with a smile.

"Thank you for having us." Carlisle shook his hand and then hugged Carmen just after.

"It's our pleasure," Carmen said with a smile. "Esme... I cannot believe that is your little Marshall."

"I can't talk about it," she said with a smile. "I was kind of hoping he wouldn't age as rapidly as my other children." Esme laughed and shook her head, "No such luck."

"Oh, I'm so glad things have worked out since last year," Carmen went on. "It has been a quiet year."

"It has," Esme said, and then knocked her fist lightly on a small wooden coffee table.

"We were a wreck when Kate and Garrett were gone, but Aro stayed true to his word."

"We're so thankful for that, too," Esme said with a nod.

"Well come in," Carmen waved Esme with her, "Hang up your coats, we can put your bags in the spare rooms and you guys can come in and relax."

"This can be considered a vacation or you, after all," Eleazar added with a grin. "Carmen will have to show you the hot springs outdoors. It's like nature's spa."

"Well that sounds... wonderful," Esme said with a laugh.

"Sounds like a girls afternoon," Rosalie added, overhearing their conversation. She looked at Esme, "It's heavenly over there."

"Did someone say girls afternoon?" Alice rushed over and slung an arm over Rosalie's shoulders. "Hot springs?"

"It's can also be romantic," Kate raised her eyebrows, and then looked back at Tanya.

" _Very_ romantic," Maddy said with a smile, prompting Garrett to look over at William.

Mackenzie rushed over to Nicole, " _We_ need to catch up!"

"Yes we do," Nicole agreed, releasing Salvatore's hand. "I miss you."

"Ladies..." Kate waved her hand, "I hope you packed your bathing suits, and if not then we have plenty of brand new designer unused suits to choose from." She grinned, "Follow me upstairs."

All of the women paraded up the staircase after Kate, leaving all the men standing around the living room.

"Back deck for a cocktail?" Eleazar suggested, after they stood their for a moment of silence.

"Or some football?" Emmett whispered to Caleb.

"Football," Caleb whispered back, prompting quick head nod from Marshall.

"To each his own," Garrett said with a laugh, "I'll join the gentlemen for a drink and some conversation. Carlisle?" He glanced over at his friend.

"Sure." He nodded and Garrett patted him on the back.

"Come on Edward," Emmett urged, "Don't go with the old men."

Edward laughed and smirked at his brother. "Fine." He looked over at Charlie. "Coming?"

"Heck yeah."

"Heck yeah!" Emmett echoed and messed up his hair.

"Jasper, come with the old men," Garrett urged.

"Jas..." Emmett gave his brother a look.

"I'll be over in a minute, Em," he said, "Blood and wine is a little too tempting to pass up. It may curb my appetite."

Emmett came back with a quip and smiled before heading out into an open spot in the yard with a ball.

"Things are lookin' up bro," he said, tossing the ball to William before glancing at Edward.

"Things are looking up," Edward agreed with a nod and a smile. He looked around and nodded again to himself. In the distance he saw Bella and the others laughing as they hurried away on their girls day. "Life is good."


	3. Video Games

**I posted a picture of my personal image of Marshall on my tumblr blog if anyone is interested :) lunareclipseseries dot tumblr dot com**

"Big storm coming in tonight!" Kate gushed, still towel-drying her hair from their trip the springs. She tossed the towel into a bin and then hurried down the stairs where almost everyone else had gathered by the fireplace.

"If you're thinking of moving up this way get used to it," Garrett added, looking at Carlisle.

"We'll see what happens." He grinned and slunk back into the couch with a sigh and Esme scooted closer to him.

"We should board in it," Emmett suggested.

"Snowboard?" Marshall asked.

"Hell yeah," he said.

"How do you get such a thrill out of that?" Kate asked him. "We travel much faster than some sled down a hill."

"It's not a sled," Emmett explained, "You can pull of some pretty sweet flips and stuff on those things. I never took a huge interest before but since me and Rose have been up here..." He gave a thumbs up to complete the sentence.

Kate smiled at him and crossed her legs before accepting a glass of wine from Garrett. "Thank you."

He winked at her and she sat down closely beside him in an oversized chair.

"I'll go," Marshall said to him with a shrug. "I've never done it before."

"Sounds good, man," Emmett said with an approving nod. "Will's tricks have been beating mine."

"I think it's about time Marshall got his face out of Dad's books and out of his phone," Alex teased. She gave her youngest brother a look.

"She's right," Marshall agreed.

"Why don't you ever fight me back?"

He shrugged and a few people laughed.

"He's got his father's personality," Eleazar said with a grin.

"Nah, we'll break him," William challenged. He was about to toss a pillow across the room but Rosalie grabbed it before it left his hand.

"We're guests," she reminded him sternly.

"Not anymore you're not," Kate told her, "You're here to stay... at least for awhile."

"That's something I'd do at home, Mom," William said, prompting a fierce look from Rosalie. He smiled once more and laughed before backing down.

"Is it me or does it feel odd to relax?" Jasper asked with a smile.

Alice grinned at him.

"I'll take it," Rosalie said.

"Me, too," added Carmen. "My goodness there hasn't been a break." She looked at Esme, "It's very nice to have the company here. We can get lost in this house sometimes."

"Yeah, it feels... cozy with you all here," Tanya chimed in for the first time.

"I'm sure it does," Kate said to her sister with a smirk.

"Do you have video games?" Charlie asked from his strewn out position on the floor.

Edward closed his eyes and shook his head, making Bella laugh.

"You're not into the piano like your father?" Tanya asked the youngster.

"Nah," Charlie said. He shook his head.

"Are we sure _Emmett_ isn't Charlie's biological father?" Jasper teased, prompting a loud laugh from Emmett and disapproving looks from Edward, Bella and Rosalie. Bella's face finally twisted into a smile, but she shook her head.

"What does biological mean?" Charlie asked.

"I think my suspicions are correct," Jasper said with a laugh upon the prodigy's son asking a question that seemed so elementary to the rest of them.

"Jasper..." Edward narrowed his eyes.

"Jasper's kidding," Bella told him, reaching down to pet his hair.

"So... are there video games here?" Charlie asked again.

Bella looked at Edward, and the two of them glanced over toward Tanya and Kate.

"Come on." Tanya stood up, "Follow me, they're upstairs."

"Yes!" he leapt to his feet.

"Say thank you," Bella told him.

"Thank you, Tanya," Charlie said with a sheepish grin. He looked at Marshall. "Come on! I need my wingman."

"Wingman," Jasper laughed, "There's another one." He pointed at Emmett and Rosalie couldn't help but crack a grin.

Edward, on the other hand, glared across the room at his brother.

"Marshall!" Charlie persisted.

"Go with him, honey," Esme urged, "He needs a wingman."

Carlisle laughed and Marshall slowly stood up to follow Charlie and Tanya.

Kate and Edward exchanged a subtle glance but neither of them said anything.

"So, what do we got?" Charlie asked, "Xbox? Playstation?'

"Both," Tanya said to him. She looked as Marshall shuffled his feet behind Charlie, who came only about to his chest. "You're the videogame extraordinaire, huh?"

"Me?" he asked with a laugh, "No."

"Not since he got old," Charlie mumbled in complaint.

Marshall snickered and shook his head and then looked back at Tanya.

"Oh, you don't know old Charlie," she told him with a smile. "I'm... old."

Charlie looked her up and down innocently. "Well... you don't look old."

Tanya laughed. "Thanks." She waved him over toward an oversized television. Beneath it were several game systems and a collection of different games. "Take your pick."

"Whoa, nice." Charlie squatted down and began to thumb through the titles. He hummed to himself as he looked through the series of green and black cases.

"Who do all these belong to?" Marshall asked.

"Emmett mostly," Tanya told him, "But Garrett has been getting more involved in them lately."

He nodded.

"You're not a video game junkie then?" Tanya asked. "I would have thought you were."

"Why?" Marshall asked with a laugh.

"Well, first you're young... second you have the hair for it."

He ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair and shrugged. "I've been trying to master the piano and the guitar actually. I can't compete with my brother Masen in the singing department though."

"Too bad," Tanya told him.

"Why's that?"

"Women love men who can sing." She smiled at him.

Marshall grinned back and looked down before readjusting his eyes to meet hers. "What about the guy who plays the acoustic guitar just a little above average?" He raised his eyebrows.

Tanya grinned and patted him lightly on the chest as she passed by him. "He's the type of guy who will have to work."


	4. Graceful Landing

The snow rained down from the dark Alaskan skies as predicted. When night fell Emmett gathered whoever was up for it and took full advantage of the weather. He had stalked out the area for the best hills and guided his friends and family along for a night of snowboarding in the extreme winter weather.

To humans it was a blizzard. People stayed inside of they could and the proper precautions were taken in order to make sure everyone stayed safe. For vampires, it was the perfect time to let loose and practice the art of extreme sports.

Rosalie had grown fond of passing the time with her husband out in the snow. They competed and made a game out of it sometimes, while other times they just enjoyed the freedom outdoors with one another.

William and Madison had also been frequenting Alaska's best hidden secrets - towering hills that the most experienced skiers would even turn away from.

Many of them joined the party on the hills taking turns with the handful of snowboards they had on hand.

Carmen, Eleazar, Carlisle and Esme stayed back and enjoyed the quiet of the house. They enjoyed some simple conversation, watched some television and relaxed in the cozy home while everyone else braved the storm outdoors.

Marshall stepped on the board for the first time and it only took a moment for him to gain his balance and feel his out footing.

"How long does this go down?" he asked William, who finished securing his feet.

The two of them peered into the white sheet that blanketed the world in front of them.

"A while." William grinned, "Good luck with the wind!" He gave Marshall a push and he began his journey down the hill.

It was difficult to see in the dark and with the heavy falling snow but he managed to weave his way back and forth down the hill. There were tracks from the others that were scattered about the hill in zigzag patterns and after a few more seconds he began to enjoy the ride, shouting aloud and pumping his fist in the air.

"Marshall's lovin' it," Emmett's voice came from somewhere in the distance.

He didn't know if it was up, down or off to the side but it made him grin again.

From behind her heard the sounds of someone trailing him and he turned to look to see two people, one on each side.

Kate quickly caught up to him first and looked to her side with a grin as she began to pass him. "Rookie on the board, huh?" she asked from behind a pair of thick goggles with a smile. Her blond locks whipped around in the snow and wind.

Marshall didn't feel as smooth as she looked and only gave a thumbs up as he attempted to focus on the landscape in front of him.

Kate looked over his shoulder as her sister gained on them. "Tanya isn't overly experienced at this either, but she's gotten more practice than you."

He quickly followed her gaze and looked over his own shoulder as Tanya began to surpass him.

"I still may be the first to the bottom of the mountain," she said with a wild laugh, "This is great. Why haven't we done this in the past?"

"We're surrounded by some extra vampires men these days," Kate said to her sister before looking straight ahead.

Marshall kept his eyes on Tanya for a moment and she smiled before crouching in an attempt to gain speed.

He sighed and watched as she passed him, following her with his eyes. When he noticed her board leave the ground and soon after gracefully catch air, his eyes widened as he realized she had gone off some type of jump or ramp.

"Oh boy," Marshall said to himself, hitting the unexpected jump with anything but grace as his body recklessly flew in the air and everything seemed to stop around him. The snowflakes floated in all different directions as he flipped around and a moment later there was a sickening crash when his body landed some twenty yards down the hill.

The tumble was a blur and his board disconnected from one foot before being pulled off of the other. Marshall continued to fall, his body rushing down with a new thud each time. He finally managed to dig his fingers into the snow and turned himself around so he was falling straight down on his back like a snowy waterslide.

He couldn't see the girls anymore, but he heard their laughter and suspected they'd seen his plummet down the hill after the jump.

 _Great_ , he thought, shaking his head.

It didn't take long before the end of the hill neared and he slowly came to a halt.

Kate and Tanya were waiting coolly at the bottom of the hill with his snowboard tucked neatly under Tanya's elbow.

"Missing something?" Kate asked him with a wide grin.

Marshall huffed with a smile and rose to his feet after a minute of sitting in the snow in shame in front of the two of them.

"That jump came out of nowhere, huh?" Kate went on with laugh. She giggled with her sister and they continued to lightheartedly joke around at Marshall's expense.

"I almost missed it," Tanya admitted.

"Almost," Kate said to her sister, and then eyed Marshall, "But someone _completely_ missed it."

Marshall put his hands on his hips and smirked at the sisters. "Thanks for the heads up." He raised his eyebrows and stared at Kate first and then switched his gaze to meet Tanya's.

"Hey, my son-in-law was the one who didn't warn you," Kate reminded him. "William and Emmett are the ones who constructed the ramp."

"I'll, uh, have to get them back for failing to give me the heads up." Marshall shook his head, still smiling, as he wiped the snow off of his clothes.

"At least he looked cute falling," Kate said, looking at her sister, "Right Tanya?"

"Adorable."

"Ha, ha, ha." Marshall continued shaking his head and Kate walked up and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Come on buddy. Let's give it another shot." Her eyes moved to meet her sister's.

"Oh, watch out!" Tanya called out, hearing the uneven bouncing of somebody else.

The two of them stepped away and Marshall's eyes widened as Caleb came crashing into him at the bottom of the hill.

Kate and Tanya exchanged a glance and broke out into laughter before the two boys regained their composure after the earth shattering collision.

"Those Cullen boys, I tell ya..." Kate couldn't keep herself from chuckling and Tanya walked up to the two of them, handing Marshall back his board.

"Man that drop came out of nowhere," Caleb commented, wiping snow from his face and readjusting his hat.

Marshall paused for a moment before cracking a smile and laughing as Caleb patted his back.

Tanya looked back at the two of them as they began the walk back up the hill. "You have got _so_ much to learn."


	5. Peace on Earth

Carlisle had made the excuse of hunting to take a moment to himself. Everyone had come rushing back after their eventful evening of snowboarding and suddenly the house felt crowded and overwhelming. It wasn't in a bad way, but for whatever reason he felt suddenly emotional smothered.

He knew Esme could tell that something wasn't quite right, but he decided to use the hunting excuse anyway.

For miles he'd walked with nothing other than his thoughts. He thought of Esme, he thought of Edward and traced him memory all the way back to the early 1900's when he met them. He went back even farther, harnessing even the most distant of memories during the time he was alone. He tried hard to remember his father's face; his voice and everything else but he couldn't paint a solid picture in his mind.

The struggle led him back to more recent times. He thought of Renesme, and the joy she brought their family. She had brought Rosalie and Esme so much hope, and the feelings they had longed for for decades; the feeling of being a mother.

Carlisle relived the meeting with the Volturi, and then the chaos that followed in the years thereafter. He pinpointed specific patients of his along the path of his medical career, and co-workers he'd admired and worked with. There were so many good memories, and even more good people he'd met along the way. The truth was, he loved every part of his life. He loved his wife, their family, their children; he loved practicing medicine, and walking the hallways of whatever hospital he happened to be working in at the time.

Several hospitals and offices where he worked became especially memorable: the first one he'd ever worked in, the one where he'd treated Esme's broken leg, the one where he met Edward, and while the feelings were still so bittersweet the place where he had found Esme on the brink of death; not to mention Forks Hospital, perhaps the hospital that felt the most permanent.

He remembered the moment he first realized he was in love with Esme; he remembered their first kiss, their marriage...

There were so many memories; mostly good, but some that drew strong emotional reactions.

Carlisle relived the first time he saw Masen. He almost felt guilty that he got to lay eyes on his son before Esme got to, only for the sheer fact that he was the one delivering the baby. Each child had their own special moment, and he couldn't compare which memory was the greatest. They were all special in their own ways. There was something about Masen, however, that far more magical and almost impossible than the others. To their knowledge he was the first of his kind - a child born to two vampires.

Carlisle found a spot near one of the only bodies of water that was left unfrozen and sat by the edge with his feet dangling in as if it was a summer day, rather than the aftermath of a blizzard.

He sighed and thought of how little recognition he'd given his son for such an amazing event. Masen wouldn't expect it, nor would he probably grasp how monumental his existence was. The feelings Carlisle got when thinking of those times made his throat tighten and tears form in the corners of his eyes.

Lots of time had passed since then and though they were immortal he felt that the years simply went by too fast. He wished they could go back and relive those moments again, because simply trying to remember what it felt like wasn't enough.

 _I'm being selfish_ , he thought, _I've been given immortality and that isn't even enough._

Carlisle drew a hand across his eyes and then began to sob alone in the Alaskan wilderness. He felt a comfort in being surrounded by nothing but trees and the lingering flakes of snow that swirled around him.

He wasn't sad, or regretful or unhappy with the present. There was a toll that hundreds of years of memories took on a person. Carlisle suddenly realized that he didn't want it to end - ever. He wanted everything to be as it was forever.

Carlisle acknowledged that it was a real possibility, that only minor things might change and they could all live happily ever after for years and years and years to come. However, he also acknowledged how close to death many of them had been over the last decade.

He openly felt the fear and the sorrow that would accompanying losing any one of them and let his emotions out in a quiet lament amongst the trees.

To have the ability to cry was magnificent. It had seemed like such a small thing that their kind was lacking before, but Carlisle was grateful to allow himself to pour his tears out to mother nature.

There was no judgment; no words; no jokes to attempt to cheer him up. He didn't want or need any of that at the moment. It would have sidetracked the natural therapy his body was putting him through.

Carlisle took his time allowing his thoughts to pour out through his eyes, and when his heart was content he finally took a breath and sat still in the silence taking in the world around him and all of its beauty.

There weren't many people who could do what he was doing right now, and he vowed to be thankful for the little moments more than he ever had in the past.

While he practiced the art of maintaining his humanity, Carlisle decided he had to do as he told himself and be grateful for the perks of his immortal skin; immortal strength and immortal life. By his guess he would assume that some humans would have loved to sit out and capture the beauty of Alaska the way he was right then. But unless they were highly trained most humans couldn't without risking their lives.

 _Embrace both sides of your soul_ , he thought. _You were given this life for a reason._

Carlisle heard the words echo in his mind, but they didn't feel like his own. They felt more like a message from something bigger. He laid flat on his back for a moment and rested his hands behind his head as he stared at the faint glow of the winter moon beyond the snow. Almost like the times he'd been blessed with sleep, his eyes felt heavy and so he closed them while taking in the sounds and scents around him.

He would have traded the world for everyone he had back home. They were the main reason for his impromptu waterfall of tears. But the silence in that moment was golden and the moment was his alone. Carlisle laid still for hours in a type of meditation and cherished a genuine moment of peace on earth.


	6. A Wink

Esme had wandered out a short distance to the forest nearby and created a little fire. She waited for Carlisle, knowing he would return when it felt right. A part of her wanted to go after him, knowing from just his eyes that there were things lying below the surface that were bothering him. After so many years of marriage, however, she knew when to allow him some space.

There was an unspoken connection the two of them had, and she suspected her husband knew that she could tell that he wasn't being wholly honest in claiming he wanted to hunt. This was reinforced when Garrett offered to go with him and he politely declined. Esme knew that Carlisle enjoyed the company, and rarely longed for a moment alone; and that was why she waited patiently for his return in a secluded spot of her own.

There were plenty of perks to having such a big, close-knit family. The only difficulty was when someone wanted or needed a moment alone. Space was something that had to be created, not given.

Everyone appeared to be on the same page with the notion, even the newest of vampires in their family, and so nobody gave it a second thought when someone, or several people, happened to 'disappear'.

Esme toyed with the fire and hoped it would linger to some extent despite the falling snow. Surprisingly it had, and she owed it to the protectively nature of the tall trees that surrounded her.

It had been awhile, but finally she heard footsteps that she was sure were Carlisle's in the distance. With each crunch of the snow she captured a stronger version of his scent, until he finally pushed through the final clearing and gave her a half smile.

Esme stood up from where she had been sitting for the last hour or so and flashed a closed-mouth smile. "You okay?" she asked simply.

Carlisle nodded and walked over without a word to give her a long kiss.

Esme hugged him and when he pulled back she held his face in her hands. Her fingers traced the dull, dried streaks on his face and then she left a kiss below each of his eyes.

Carlisle loved the tranquility she could provide him. It added to all the feelings he'd gotten from spending a little alone time nature; only the present moment was far greater. There was nothing like being in Esme's company.

"Why were you crying?" she asked him.

Carlisle breathed against her once as he let out the final bout of emotion. "I was just... reflecting," he told her quietly, clearing his throat at the conclusion of the sentence.

Esme studied him, seeing no trace of sorrow in his eyes and then pulled him against her in a longer hug. Her hand ran up and down his back and she felt him relax his body against hers. She loved the moment when she got to take care of him. Carlisle was always the strong one, the level-headed one and the person everyone looked to for help. It was rare when he visibly showed how much he needed that in return.

The two of them stood there for awhile without speaking and Esme pulling Carlisle a little tighter against her each time he took in a deep breath. Finally he pulled back and she laid several chaste kisses on his lips.

"You knew I wasn't going out to hunt," he suspected with a grin.

"Well... when you've been married for nearly a hundred years there aren't many secrets you can keep." Esme smiled, glad to see his spirit had been revived, and she toyed with the snowflakes that were stuck in between his wavy, blond locks.

Carlisle laughed lightly. "I'm sorry, I-"

Esme put a finger against his lips. "You don't have to explain anything." She smiled. "I know."

He grinned again and then let it fade. "Everything just happens so fast."

She continued to run her hand soothingly through his hair. "What do you mean?"

Carlisle inhaled and exhaled through his nose. "Marshall is as tall as I am now. We hardly see Masen. The kids have their own lives. Edward and Bella haven't seen Renesme and Jacob as much as they'd like. I can't even remember what it was like without Bella in our family. It all seems so far back..." He shook his head.

Esme turned his chin up so his eyes would meet hers. "Time passing doesn't mean things are necessarily worse." She raised her eyebrows and smiled. "I agree, the mother in me cringes with each inch our children grown... and seeing the children with children, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Edward... Bella... Masen and Leah..." Esme sighed as she was done rattling off the long list of names, "It's a constant reminder that time is passing, I get it... but there are an endless world of possibilities that maybe we haven't even heard of yet." She chuckled, "Or maybe things will stay somewhat the same."

He nodded, smiling partway again.

"Only time will tell," Esme reminded him, tapping him on the nose once.

Carlisle couldn't help but laugh and she looked down and back up again. "Esme... I don't know what I would do without you." He smiled at her again.

"The feeling is mutual." She kissed him once more and looked down at the blanket she'd been curled up under before he arrived. "What do you say we get comfortable, let the fire die down and then join our crazy family back inside?"

He nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Esme smiled and sat, pulling him down with her. She wrapped the blanket around the two of them and cuddled Carlisle against her body, kissing the top of his head in motherly fashion.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Esme smiled and ran a hand through his hair. The two of them continued to take in the beauty of the winter, this time together.

...

Nicole sat in front of the fireplace in the living room with a book propped open in both hands. The title read _Urban Legends to Die For_. The lights were off and it was completely dark aside from the fire. She lowered her voice and had begun the first of a series of scary stories from the book.

Salvatore sat to her left and smirked or suppressed a chuckle at her animation when in the midst of storytelling.

Mackenzie, William, Alex, Michael, Caleb, Delilah, Marshall, Tanya and Kate were scattered about the room. Emmett had been sneaking in and out, being pulled in one direction by Rosalie and in the other by his amusement with the tales that Nicole was sharing with the rest of them.

Garrett, too, peeked his head in once or twice to smile or wink at Kate before disappearing some place else.

"Gosh, I used to believe these things when I was a child," Delilah whispered to Caleb, who smiled back at her.

"Did you believe in vampires back then?" he whispered back.

She grinned wider. "I had heard legends of the Volturi, but no one actually called them that when they told the stories."

"Did you believe?"

Delilah hesitated and then shrugged. "I suppose a part of me wanted to just for the mystery of it... but no, not really."

"Did you ever think you could fall in love with one?"

She smirked and then leaned in and kissed him once on the lips without answering.

Nicole cleared her throat as she acknowledged their interruption of her story and glared for a second before giving a devilish half-smile.

"You look eerily like your dad when you smile like that," Mackenzie told her with a chuckle.

"Thank you," she said with a cute shrug of her shoulders.

"And now she looks like Alice," Kate said, smiling at the youngster with a wink.

"Hey Nic..." Emmett peeked his head in again. "Any tales of the succubus in that book?"

Kate and Tanya looked at him trying to hold in a pair of grins, and then Emmett let out a howl of a laugh and disappeared again.

"If I can get back to the story about the man in the back seat of the car now, please..." Nicole said to her audience. She cleared her throat again and her eyes scanned the page. "Where was I?"

"The girl was just leaving a gas station," Alex informed her.

"Right!" Nicole used her finger to point at Alex and then quickly regained her place on the page. "So... the girl hurries back into the car after breaking the window of the gas station shop with the shop employee tailing after her. She thinks he's the villain after he tried to lock her inside."

"He's not the villain?" Mackenzie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Shh!" Nicole ordered, "I'm getting there." She paused. "So she runs to her car and throws the door open. The old man behind her is waving his arms wildly and unable to get the right words out of his mouth because of a bad stutter. No later than she locks herself in, the man's hand slam on the window and he finally gets the word 'stop!' out as she pulls away from the pump." Nicole thumbed to the next page. "He stood in the rain watching her car drive off into the night and finally choked out the sentence he couldn't put together... "S-s-s-someone's in the back seat!"

Marshall smirked at Nicole's animation and felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He reached in and removed his phone, continuing to smile to himself from the message he'd received that read: Are you scared yet? The number, however, he did not recognize and so he glanced around the room.

Everyone stared straight ahead at Nicole as she began to animate the story more through her hand motions and the raise of her voice. "The girl was crying and turned the radio up high to block out the terror from the gas station. Her windshield wipers were on full blast, as rain pounded at the windshield of her car as it cruised around a sharp turn on a winding back road."

Marshall glanced down and his thumbs danced over the touch screen as he typed back to whoever it was the had sent him the message. He decided to pretend like he knew who sent him the message, typing: No, but it looks like you are.

When he hit send he tried to focus on Nicole, though kept an eye on everyone in the room with his peripheral vision. A light buzzing sound came from the couch where Kate and Tanya sat, and they both looked down toward a phone that sat in between them. Kate suppressed a giggle, and Tanya reached down with a smile, glancing over her shoulder at Marshall who caught her glimpse for a moment before smirking again and turning away. He had the urge to flash a wink, but decided he wasn't feel bold enough to give a gesture to somebody as breathtaking as Tanya.

"And SLAM!" Nicole's loud voice made everyone's heads snap back in her direction as she used her arms to mimic the motion of swinging an ax. At the same time, Carlisle and Esme walked in through the front door, bringing a gust of snow and wind with them and making both Delilah and Michael jump at the same time.

Esme put a hand over her chest and began to laugh, and then put a hand up. "Sorry!" she whispered. Carlisle raised his eyebrows and kept a closed-mouth smile but didn't say anything. "Carry on, kids," Esme said, unable to keep herself from smiling and then latched her arm through Carlisle's and headed with him down the hall.

Marshall glanced over at the two of them and grinned to himself as they continued to laugh while walking away together. He glanced back toward Tanya, who to his surprise was looking back at him. Without the hesitation from a moment before, he winked and then turned to hear the conclusion of the story.


	7. April Date

**Sorry for my long delays in writing! Life :)**

* * *

Edward smiled at Carlisle and Esme as they entered through a back room where he and Bella sat together listening to music and talking.

"Someone's thought are incredibly loud," he said, and the motioned toward the open door they'd just walked through.

Carlisle looked over his shoulder. "Whose?"

"Marshall."

"Marshall?" Esme asked. "What about?"

"You mean who about?" Edward grinned and then laughed. Bella smiled and shrugged.

Carlisle and Esme waited, both of them now stiff with anticipation. "Who?" Esme asked finally.

Edward mouthed the name, "Tanya."

Esme turned to Carlisle, and the two of them appeared to be having different reactions. Carlisle paused before a smile crossed his face and Esme shook her head, lowering her voice. "I'm sure Tanya doesn't have her sights set on Marshall. He's so little."

"Not anymore," Edward whispered. "And he's not the only one with consistent thoughts."

"What does that mean?" Esme asked.

"I'm just saying..."

"Saying what?"

Edward chuckled and then sighed as he glanced up at Esme. Her expression was serious. "I think the initial attraction is mutual." He smirked.

Carlisle shook his head. "I'm sure it's nothing." Esme didn't appear to sure. She continued to stare at Edward as he giggled, eventually placing a hand over his mouth. He and Esme continued to stare at one another until he laughed again.

"Edward, cut it out." Bella tapped his chest with the back of her hand.

Edward waved the two of them with him and the four of them headed back outside away from the house. Alice soon jumped into the equation and seemed to be waiting for Edward to begin whatever he had in mind to say, but when everyone stared in her direction, she began. "Well, I have to say that Tanya is going to be a little down when we leave here in a few days."

"We'll just be going to Washington," Esme reminded Alice.

She nodded and shrugged. "That's just what I've seen." Her eyes drifted upward to the collection of stars in the dark sky.

"You've seen more..." Edward smirked at his sister.

"Huh?" Alice pretended to be taken off-guard.

Carlisle and Esme looked at her and waited.

"Oh, well...hmm..." Alice placed a finger over her mouth.

"What?" Esme asked again. She was on the edge of her seat awaiting to hear of yet another one of her children growing up far too quickly for her taste. Still, she knew she couldn't fight it. Marshall was fully grown with fully grown feelings. He just happened to reach maturity rather quickly. "Gosh, you think I'd be used to this right now," Esme said aloud, echoing her private thoughts.

Carlisle placed a hand gently on her back. "What Alice?" he looked at her first and then back to Edward.

"They'll take a little trip together is all," Alice said, "Nothing bad."

"A trip where?" Esme asked, no sooner than the words left her mouth.

"California." She smiled, "See, not so bad. Not far."

"Why?" Carlisle asked.

"To get to know each other... and to see a concert."

"A concert?" he smirked, "What music could Tanya and Marshall have in common? They're from different generations... and that's an understatement."

Alice twisted her mouth into a grin, "Marshall and I share a love for some of the more modern music," she told them, "And we're from different generations. Just because we're ancient, doesn't mean we have to act like it." She shot Edward a look and then winked at her brother. Bella smiled and tugged lightly on the fabric of his shirt.

"What concert?" Esme asked.

"Oh, just this little thing out in, um..." she cleared her throat, "Coachella."

Carlisle and Esme looked at one another, neither familiar with it. Bella raised her eyebrows. "Coachella? Really?"

"I know," Alice said, "Pretty cool right? I should try to talk Jasper into doubling with them..." She glanced outward as she thought.

"Double?" Esme asked.

"Double date," Edward said with a laugh.

"Is this going to be a formal date Alice?" Esme asked. She didn't know why she was so incredibly worried. Tanya was a good person, a great friend and in many ways family. On the other hand, Marshall was Marshall; her youngest son, her baby. He was too young to get involved.

 _Isn't he?_ Esme wondered. She thought back to their close encounters. But even immortal life can be short; taken so soon. Marshall deserved to be happy and live his life as a grown man. _In_ _the grand scheme of things he's still a baby._

Esme's thoughts went back and forth. Two of her other children, Alex and Caleb, were paired with vampires who knew next to nothing of the vampire world and in both cases they got themselves into trouble considering none of them really knew first hand what the immortal world had in store. M _aybe Tanya's worldly experience would be a good balance for him. She could guide him... the way Carlisle did with me._ Carlisle's voice snapped her back into the conversation.

"Coachella Valley..." Carlisle thought aloud, "The sun... the dessert."

"So you _are_ familiar with it," Edward said with a laugh.

"Just the geography," Carlisle told him.

"They're going at night," Alice said, "Or they will be... when the time comes. And if I have anything to do with it they'll make the best dressed list."

"So, it's a concert?" Esme asked hesitantly.

"Well... more of a music festival," she told them, "I've actually been interested in going for years. I just have made it down there... running from the Volturi and all, ya know?" Alice continued to try keeping the mood light.

"When is it?"

"April." She grinned.

Esme turned back to Carlisle and he read her mind. "I'll go have a talk with him."


	8. The Map

**So... I've had a reimagined way to take this story an renamed it. Hope this is okay with everyone! Sorry for the hiatus. I have a great idea for this now. :)**

Marshall and Carlisle sat up on the highest level of the house where the Denali coven lived.

"I just don't think the dessert is the best place for you to be," Carlisle told him sincerely. They had been round and round about the idea with Marshall pleading with him that it would just be a nighttime ordeal. Still, Carlisle knew going into the dessert would be perhaps the worst place for a pair of vampires to be. He hoped his talk earlier with Tanya would be enough to convince the two of them to plan something otherwise.

"I'll try to convince him," she had told Carlisle, "I'm sure I can. I won't go if you don't permit it."

Carlisle had known Tanya a long time. She had been alone for centuries and it hadn't bothered her a bit. She had taken a genuine interest in Edward, though that wasn't in the cards and part of the time he felt badly for Tanya for the way that all panned out for her. He sensed she had real feelings for him and to some level had her heart broken. Now, she was showing that same interest in Marshall, who despite how bad he wanted to deny it was a man. He was capable to make his own decisions, to feel the feelings that all of them felt. Still, he was too young in some sense of it all to fully comprehend the consequences of being immortal.

"Fine," Marshall finally gave in. He shrugged. "I won't go. You're right."

"I'm right?" Carlisle asked him.

"Yes, you're right." He chuckled, "I mean vampires in Southern California among humans." Marshall shook his head. "Stupid."

"It's not stupid," his father went on, "I just think-"

"You're right," Marshall repeated. "End of discussion. We won't go to the concert." He crossed one leg over the other. "Can I take her somewhere else?"

Carlisle raised his eyebrows. He knew of Tanya's history but was confident in the way she interacted with his son that her intentions were good. Carlisle knew that Tanya was a good person. She valued human life. She had experience. She might, on some levels, be a great fit for him.

 _She could show him the ways of the world,_ Carlisle went on in his mind, _she might be just what he needs in this life_.

"Yes," he finally said, "Yes. If she wouldn't mind it."

"I don't think she would mind at all."

"So... you and Tanya. You've talked about this?"

"We've... talked," Marshall admitted, holding back a grin. "I'd like to go out with her. You know, the way everyone else went out with each other at first. Edward and Bella... Caleb and Del... Masen and Leah... I mean, there's no forbidden fruit here, it's all good."

"She's a lot older than you." Carlisle almost wanted to eat his words but he had to put it out there.

"Yeah... but you're a lot older than Mom." A smile finally escaped his lips and Carlisle was about to speak but he didn't say anything. "I mean technically, right?"

 _But only by a few hundred years_ , he thought, _not thousands._ Carlisle sighed. _Does it make a difference?_

"Look, Dad, I'll treat her right. I just want to go somewhere nice with her, ya know? I'll go on a double date if you want."

"With you? Your mom and I?"

Marshall laughed. "No thanks."

"I just want to make sure-"

"Dad, I said I wouldn't go to the concert. But I'd like it if you said I could take her somewhere else... somewhere safer I guess. I don't know. Can we meet in the middle?"

Carlisle paused a moment and then nodded. "That's fair."

"Thank you." Marshall smiled and rose to hug his father. "When I think of a good spot I'll let you know. In the mean time... I'll get to know Tanya some more. Maybe she can take me on a tour of Alaska. Is that okay?"

Carlisle had the urge to send a chaperone everywhere his youngest son went. He didn't know how much good that would do for his son. "That's... okay." The words barely left his mouth but he managed the short sentence. He wanted to speak with Tanya too, and he knew she would hear him out.

"Thanks Dad." Marshall grinned and Carlisle patted him on the shoulder before heading out of the room. Marshall stood in the center of the room by himself for a moment. He glanced at the television, the collection of DVDs and then focused on a book case. Out of boredom and just a moment of alone time he wandered to one of the book shelves and started thumbing through some old books. There was everything from Shakespeare to The Hunger Games and everything in between. There was fiction, non-fiction, books of the world.

 _Maps of the World_ , Marshall thought to himself. He removed it from the shelf, having ideas of finding some exotic location to take Tanya. He knew, like the dessert, that there were sparse places for vampires to travel unnoticed. Sure, Isle Esme, the island his father had given to his mother, seemed like a great place but he knew that would never fly. They wouldn't let him take Tanya there... at least not this early on in their relationship, if that's what it was.

A piece of paper fluttered from the back lining of the book and slowly made it's way to the ground in a feathering, zigzagging fashion. Marshall stared down at the paper near his feet and didn't pick it up right away. It was a dark brown, withered piece of paper that was folded in half twice to make a lopsided rectangle.

He over his shoulder for reasons he couldn't quite pinpoint and then squatted down, scooping up the piece of paper. For a moment he stayed in his crouch with the thick page between his hands. Marshall sighed and then unfolded the paper, standing upright as he did. He placed the book on top of one of the shelves and then let his full attention seep into the mystery paper. As he fully unfolded it his eyebrows pressed together in confusion.

"What the hell is this?" he wondered aloud, and then twisted the paper sideways. _It's a map_ , he recognized.

Marshall skimmed the page with his finger. To him it felt like some relic that would reveal some type of buried treasure, though he knew this wasn't the case. There was no 'X' that marked the spot or anything of that nature. All the map reveal was what appeared to be the state of California's western border and then a small collection of islands. It wasn't Hawaii. It was farther down the coast. Something he had never seen on any real map before.

"What is this place?" Marshall felt a little silly speaking aloud but it wasn't intentional. His eyes were wide, mouth partway open as he studied the landscapes. "Three kilometers," he spoke again, reading a distance that was mapped out from the edge of California to the first island, and then again from the first to a second island. It ultimately lead to a third landmark that was much smaller. "Five kilometers."

He smiled to himself, tasting a sense of adventure and couldn't keep his eyes from the map.

"Hey!" a female voice called from behind.

Marshall froze for a moment before swiftly tucking the map into his pocket as he spun around. Much to his pleasure, Tanya stood in the doorway of the room. "Hi," he said back with a grin, going to lean on the wall with elbow, though he slipped.

Tanya laughed but she motioned to his pocket. "What do you have there?"

"Huh?"

"Come on, Marshall, I wasn't born yesterday." She smirked and he grinned back.

"You're right. Can't put much past you." He removed the map from his pocket and handed it over. When Tanya's eyes grew a little wider she met his. "What is this place?" he asked her.

Tanya swallowed. "I... I don't know. I've never been."

"Well it's something," Marshall insisted, "Right?"

.

"Right..." Tanya had heard of the place people called the 'The Island'. She'd heard Carmen speak of it before but none of them had ever ventured there. As far as they knew it didn't actually exist. It could have been a myth for all she knew.

"Well... what is it?" Marshall asked. He smiled moving an inch or so closer.

"I'm not sure," Tanya admitted, "I've never been... I mean... I've heard of the place."

"You mean in all your years you've never followed this thing." He smiled, "None of you?"

"Carmen may have... Eleazar possibly but not me or my sisters." Tanya shook her head. "It might not be real."

"Well, let's go ask them." Marshall headed toward the door but she grabbed him by the arm. "No!"

"Why not?"

"Because..." Tanya lowered her voice and looked toward the empty doorway. "I don't know that this place is... supposed to be talked about."

Marshall was intrigued. For the first time he thought maybe his father was right. Maybe he was too immature to go off and do his own thing. The feeling he had in his stomach was something he hadn't felt before. It was almost euphoric. The adventure that laid at his hands on that mystery island was something he suddenly craved. He wanted to know what was there that Tanya herself hadn't even ventured to go see. All the same, he wanted to do it with her.

"Tanya," Marshall lowered his voice and the corner of his mouth curled up in a smile. "Tell me what you know about this island."


	9. Pursuit of Paradise

Paradise. That is what the secret island sounded like to Marshall. He stared at Tanya as she rattled off only a few of the details she knew of the place.

"It's a secluded place," she told him, "It isn't on any _real_ maps. I wonder if that was intentional. I have to think it is."

"Why?" Marshall asked.

Tanya gave him a look. "A secluded tropical island full of vampires? Are you kidding. Someone along the lines decided that this place should never been made known to mankind. If people went there they would never come back."

He made a face and nodded in agreement. "I forget not all vampires are like us."

"Most aren't," she reminded him.

"Right..." Marshall let a pout form on his face and rested his elbows on his knees, tucking his fists beneath his chin.

"I do believe Carmen has been there before with Eleazar."

"What did she say?"

"Sunny all the time... water so clear that you can see the bottom." Tanya managed a small smile. "My mother talked of this once with me a long time ago."

"Where is she now?" Marshall asked. He raised his eyebrows.

Tanya's eyes softened and she looked away. "The Volturi killed her."

He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she explained. "It was a long time ago." Tanya forced his eyes to meet hers. "Really... it's okay."

Marshall nodded, unaware of what else to do.

"Anyway... I suppose it is like a vampire community. A beach resort community for vampires." Tanya laughed at her choice of words for the description and Marshall chuckled once and then ran a hand through his hair. He eyed the floor for a moment and then raised his eyes to meet hers.

"Want to go?" Marshall asked.

Tanya looked at him and laughed again when she realized he was serious. "Do I want to go?"

"Yeah, yeah do you want to go there?" he laughed. "To the vampire paradise community?"

She laughed with him for a moment and then looked around the room again and over her shoulder.

"Why do you always do that?" Marshall asked.

"Look around like somebody's watching you."

"I do not." Tanya grinned.

Marshall laughed again. "You do."

She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at him. "You know Marshall... you're very observant."

He shrugged. "You didn't answer my question."

"I realize that."

"So..."

"So..." Tanya tried to match him but for the first time in what felt like centuries she felt her will power slipping. The power she typically had over men was all but forgotten. She didn't know what to say or how to react. Marshall was giving her that butterfly sensation in her stomach and she wished it would go away.

"So... are you going to accompany me to this island or not?"

"Accompany you?" Tanya laughed, "Okay well you sounded a bit too much like your father there."

Marshall made a face. "Yikes. I better dumb it down then huh?"

"Just a little."

He twisted his face in a smirk and eyed the ceiling a moment before recapturing her gaze. "You're looking for a more modern notion then huh?"

Tanya shrugged and continued to stare at him.

"Well... babe..." Marshall began prompting a louder laugh from Tanya. "Do you want to, like, go on an adventure with me to this sweet... awesome... cool... island?"

"That was terrible," she told him, unable to keep a wide smile from her face. "Completely terrible."

"You prefer the old 'Carlisle Cullen' lingo then huh?"

"I think I might."

Marshall grinned and rose to his feet. He took a deep breath and touched the map with his fingertips that Tanya still held in her hands. "Do you want to _accompany_ me to this island?"

Tanya felt as if her entire body went numb. She tried not to show it but she knew her breathing had picked up as she took a deep inhale through her nose. "We probably shouldn't go alone."

"Bring whoever you want."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Marshall continued their stare down and felt the very tip of his index finger touch hers. Neither of them pulled away.

"I'll, um, maybe I'll bring it up to Carmen. We can... talk about it."

"Fair enough."

"You're serious." Tanya didn't ask him. She was confirming what she knew was true.

"I'm serious." He cracked another half-smile. "I want to go."

"Haven't you had enough adventures in your young life, Marshall?"

"I've never experienced paradise," he raised his eyebrows. "Only the bad kind of adventure that almost gets your family and friends killed. I've had enough of that."

"Me too."

Marshall smiled again. "So... you'll talk to Carmen."

"I'll, um... I'll see what I can do." Tanya pulled the map away from his hands and Marshall looked down as her hands moved away.

"Great."

She kept her eyes locked with his another moment not wanting to leave the room, but eventually turned away and headed downstairs. Tanya wasn't aware of who had heard their talk, or if she was going to talk to Carmen but now she was as equally as intrigued as her younger counterpart. She wanted to make the trip. She wanted to know what was on that island - if it was at all what had been described to her in small patches in the past.

For decades and longer she had never felt the urge to make the trip. Now that Marshall Cullen was begging her with his sweet, golden eyes she wanted it more than ever.

 _Get a grip_ , she told herself. _You've been alive for thousands of years_. Tanya shook her head. _I'm old enough to be his great-grandmother's , great-grandmother's, grandmother's..._ She could have gone on for days, and then immediately regained the self-confidence that had gotten her though all of her years. _But you're more gorgeous than any twenty-something that walks the red carpet today... not to mention far wiser!_

Tanya smiled to herself after her mental pep-talk and headed down the stairs. She tucked the map in her pocket and decided to look for Carmen and Eleazar.


	10. Empathy

Carlisle stood with his hands on his hips next to Esme as Tanya revealed the map to Carmen and Eleazar. She had purposely asked the elder Cullens to be present when she asked of it because of her respect for the two of them and for Marshall.

"What is this place?" Tanya asked. "I remember a long time ago you talked about it, but I hadn't thought of it in decades."

Eleazar slowly reached for the old, slightly withered piece of paper and accepted it from Tanya's fingertips. Carmen looked at him and then the two of them looked back at her. "We went here many years ago," he admitted.

"I thought so," Tanya said with a nod.

"Went where?" Carlisle asked.

Tanya called for the map, waving her hand at Eleazar and then handed it to Carlisle. "It's a little island in the pacific ocean."

"Nobody really knows of this place," Carmen explained.

"It's off limits, actually," Eleazar added, "And it's not on any maps."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows and thoughts of Isle Esme popped into his mind. "So no one inhabits the place?"

"No humans," Eleazar explained.

"So... other vampires?" Esme asked.

He nodded. "At least when we were there."

"How long were you there for?" Her eyes shifted from Eleazar to Carmen.

"We went on several occasions for short times," Carmen explained. "It was different... a nice place to stay for a short time. We could never live there."

"No." Eleazar confirmed her statement right away and shook his head.

"So, what's so taboo about this place?" Tanya asked.

"Nothing that I know of," Eleazar explained, "There are several types of our kind who reside there. None are confrontational, as long as their secret is kept and there isn't a rush of immortals to the island."

"So, would we be unwelcome?"

"I don't believe so." Carmen looked up at Eleazar. "They were nothing but friendly to us."

Carlisle looked at Tanya. "Where did you find this?"

"Marshall and I were looking through some things. It fell out. He asked about it."

He nodded and then looked around at everybody. He could tell that they were all wondering the same thing - what was going on between Tanya and Marshall?

Tanya sensed their thoughts by their looks and stiff body language. She took a deep breath and decided to make an executive decision. "I may go up north to hunt for a few weeks. If you're not here when I get back then I'll see you all soon I'm sure."

Esme looked at her. "You're leaving?" A part of her didn't what Tanya to go. She could sense their friend's feelings for Marshall, and those that he reciprocated. Esme knew that Tanya was a good person, and for her to have genuine feelings for someone was rare and special.

"I think it's for the best." Tanya suddenly empathized with Edward's initial run from Bella when he visited Alaska. She could truly put herself in his shoes, despite the possible consequences being less severe to potentially trying to start a relationship with Marshall Cullen. She suddenly felt smothered, as if she was doing something wrong by caring about him.

"You're leaving?" Marshall whipped into the room.

"Just going to hunt," she confessed. "Upper Canada is nice."

"I'll go with you," he offered, but she shook her head and declined.

"I'll be okay. I prefer to hunt alone." Tanya forced a smile and touched him lightly on the shoulder as she crossed out of the room.

"Maybe we should, um, be on our way," Carlisle said with a nod.

"What?" Marshall shook his head, confused. "Why?"

"You don't have to go," Carmen insisted.

"We'll visit soon," Carlisle told her, "Or you could come down to see us." He smiled and put an arm around Marshall.

"Dad..." He wasn't fully comprehending and even Esme looked a slightly down in her posture.

"I'm going with her." Kate peeked her head into the room and waved, "Have a same trip back guys." With a smile she left as quickly as she'd entered and then was out of the house; gone.

Carlisle and Eleazar looked at one another for a moment before Carlisle his posture and put a hand on Esme's back. "It's probably time we headed home... no?"

Esme agreed, but didn't know it would be so soon. She knew whatever the map meant, and whatever was going on between Tanya and Marshall had sparked their sudden decision to leave Alaska. On the same note, she didn't want Tanya feeling uncomfortable in her own home and so she agreed. "Of course."

Carlisle could see she only partially agreed with leaving and so he looked at her for an extra second until she nodded, squeezing his arm.

"Well, feel free to stay as long as you'd like," Eleazar told them sincerely. "You don't have to leave right this second."

"Thank you." Carlisle smiled with a nod. "Maybe we'll stay until the morning and then head back."

"Sure." They exchanged a polite grin and then the couples parted ways within the house.

"Dad, why-" Marshall began, but Carlisle silenced him.

"We'll talk later."

"But-"

"Listen to your father," Esme told their youngest son.

Marshall scowled and hurried away up a staircase where he immediately began talking with Caleb and Delilah in a hurried, angry fashion.

Carlisle looked toward the stairs and then felt Esme's eyes on him. He turned to her and waited for her to speak.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothing."

"There's the big elephant in the room that no one has outright spoken about."

He raised his eyebrows but Esme gave him a look. "Okay," he admitted. "I don't know that here is the place to talk."

"Then we'll relocated for a half hour." She tugged on his hand and the two of them walked out into the wilderness for about a mile. "You're concerned about Tanya and Marshall," Esme finally said.

"I just don't know that he knows what he's doing... or getting into," Carlisle admitted.

"Tanya is a good person."

"She is," he agreed, "But..." He sighed, "I don't know."

"Marshall wants to go with Tanya to that island," Esme suspected.

"Sounds like it."

She sighed and sat on a big rock next to where they stood. Carlisle slunk down next to her. "I get it," she said, "Yeah, he was a foot shorter than her a few months ago."

"I think Tanya did the right thing," Carlisle told her. "She's conflicted. She needs time to think."

"She's smart," Esme added.

"Yeah."

"And I think she likes Marshall."

He nodded subtly. "I'd hate for either of them to get hurt."

"If there's something that's _real_ there then remaining apart and not giving it a chance could lead them to get hurt."

"True," Carlisle agreed, "But look what happened when I waited for you." He raised his eyebrows and Esme smiled and looked down, echoing his phrase. "True."

He smiled again and pulled her to him, kissing her on the forehead "I don't know what to do about this."

"Tanya just solved the issue on her own," Esme reminded him. "When she's ready she'll come to him."

Carlisle nodded, "Yeah."

"In the mean time... we'll go back home and try to pick up some normalcy in our lives... again."

He tipped the corner of his mouth up in a smile. "Sounds good to me."

Esme kissed him once, rose from where she sat and pulled him up. "Let's go back to the house."


	11. Husband and Wife Time

Marshall pouted all the way back to Forks, and eyed the ceiling as they entered their former home. It felt foreign to him; almost unreal. He'd listened to music on his phone, picturing Tanya's face as he listened to ninety percent of the lyrics. While the incident with the Volturi hadn't happened all that long ago, it suddenly began to feel like it had happened ages ago. His absence from Tanya, on the same note, felt like years.

"It smells weird in here," Emmett said, kicking off his shoes, "Like... must."

"We'll have to get to work." Esme looked over her shoulder at him and smirked.

"Anything you say Mama Bear." He winked and then made his way upstairs. "Same rooms."

"Let's go to the reservation," Bella urged, tugging on Edward's shirt. "And then maybe we can break into Charlie's old house and snoop around?" When he laughed she went on. "I have to see what these new people have done to the place."

"You may, uh," Edward laughed in a pause, "You may cry."

"Probably," Bella admitted.

Edward looked to Esme for a sense of approval and when she realized she waved her hand with a smile. "Go."

"Dad, um..." Marshall looked at Carlisle. "I want to maybe take a trip back to Alaska once we get settled in here. A week or so maybe?"

"We'll see," Carlisle told him, patting him on the shoulder. He glanced at Esme and then turned to his son. "Help me get some more things from the car."

...

The house was put together rather easily with the help of everybody. Within just an hour or so things looked as if they had never left - but they didn't quite feel that way.

"This is so weird," Rosalie said aloud with a laugh. She walked with Esme through the halls, examining the paintings on the walls and trying to adjust little details back to the way they had been the last time they were there. Rosalie pointed when Carlisle waved her into his office, where he stood adjusting a laptop. "Go ahead," Rosalie smiled, "I have to get Emmett away from the video games."

Esme laughed and parted ways with Rosalie before hurrying into Carlisle's office, shutting the door behind her as she sensed he wanted to talk about something important. "Hey," she said, eying the room that looked barely different than it had they left.

"I know," he took a deep breath. "I mean... I don't know. It's odd a little. I don't know why this time more than the rest."

"Me either." Esme looked at him. "What were you going to say?"

"Well..." Carlisle walked across the room and kissed her once on the lips. "I love you... that's the first thing."

She chuckled against his lips and kissed him again. "Okay... good start."

"And the second thing..." He paused.

"Marshall." Esme raised her eyebrows and looked at him.

"Yes."

"We're in control," she reminded him. "We'll have a talk with him."

"When?"

"Not tonight." Esme smiled at him. "His brother is keeping his mind occupied tonight." They both listened as they took over the controllers of the Xbox that Emmett reluctantly gave up.

Carlisle smiled but sighed. "It just worries me is all."

"I promise we'll talk to him when the time's right," Esme said, "It's not going to be any more complicated than our other children's love interests."

He laughed quietly. "Yeah... I guess so."

"Or ours." She raised her eyebrows and smirked.

"I guess ours ended up alright." He leaned in to kiss her and Esme pulled back.

"You guess?" she teased.

Carlisle took in a deep breath through his nose and gave her a look before Esme gave in and kissed him. "What are the chances that I get some alone time with you?" he asked.

Esme gave a listen, taking in the sounds and conversations from the rest of the house. She looked back at him. "I'd say they're promising."

He kissed her again, a little harder and backed away when he felt her body press against his.

"What's wrong?" Esme asked him.

Carlisle took a deep breath and looked around. "I don't know," he admitted. "I just hear everyone's conversations... being back here, it's just-"

Esme pulled his lips to her again and rested her hands on his waist. She didn't allow him to part from her until she felt his body relax. Carlisle's hands rested against her hip and lower back. "Don't think about anything of it," Esme instructed him.

"Okay." He breathed into her mouth.

Esme kissed him once more. "Remember... in this crazy house," she laughed at her own comment, "We have to find some husband and wife time."

"Your'e right," he sighed against her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't-" Esme began but he kissed her again. For a short time they stood just kissing one another in the center of Carlisle's office until she finally pulled back. "Why don't we go down the hall?"

He took a deep breath, not wanting to part from her but nodded and followed as she led the way a few doors down to their bedroom.

"I can't believe we're back here," Esme began, but Carlisle pulled her toward him and kissed her hard. The two of them had taken turns interrupting one another as their conversation went on, but neither of the minded. "Maybe..." Esme said, pulling back and laughing as her husband pulled her closer with more force. "Maybe we could start some bath water."

Carlisle opened his eyes and took a long, deep breath.

"If you want," she added.

He smiled and looked down at her. "Okay."

"You need to relax," she joked, pushing up on her toes to kiss him.

"I think you're right." Carlisle grinned and loosened his tie.

"Let me get that." Esme reached up and untied the piece of fabric before undoing the first few buttons on his shirt. She turned. "Would you mind getting the zipper on my dress?"

He snickered and did as she requested. Esme slipped out of the casual dress she was sporting and then looked over her shoulder as she walked slowly into the bathroom that attached to their room.

Carlisle admired her for a moment and then followed her lead, doing away with his clothing before entering behind her where water was beginning to run.

Esme studied his near-perfect body and he grinned almost shyly. She walked toward him, reaching past him to lightly click the door shut before locking it as the hot water brewed beside them.

"Husband and wife time," she reminded him with a kiss.

Carlisle nodded and kissed her back softly. "You've got my full attention."

"Good." Esme ran a hand town his torso and then slipped into the bath with a smile. "Add some bubbles."


End file.
